Never Mind Washington. Look to the States.

With the election finally over, Democrats winning control of the U.S. House, Republicans expanding their power in the U.S. Senate, and political divisions seemingly near an all-time high, Americans are wondering how reforms can be enacted amid the partisan gridlock in Washington, D.C. The good news is that freedom can be defended and liberties can be expanded when we work in the states.

In an interview this week, Goldwater Institute President and CEO Victor Riches pointed to the Right to Try as a prime example of how significant policy can be enacted nationally, one state at a time. Authored by the Goldwater Institute, the law protects terminally ill patients’ right to decide for themselves—in consultation with their doctors—whether to try medicines that could save their lives.

“We started it in a blue state, then a red state, then a purple state,” Riches says. “We ultimately passed it in 41 states. After 90 percent of the country had right to try laws, we passed a federal version of the bill just a few months ago. We got bipartisan votes all across the country and a bipartisan vote at the federal level as well.”

On May 30, 2018, President Donald Trump Right to Try into law, opening a new pathway for terminally ill patients who have exhausted their government-approved options and can’t get into a clinical trial to access treatments.

Conservatives will also pursue issues such as school choice and deregulation, including curbs on occupational licensing requirements. “Particularly in these times, when the economy is in such good shape, there’s going to be a lot of opportunity for legitimate tax reform,” says Riches.

Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, the Goldwater Institute has a long history of winning reforms at the local level, including more than 300 key victories in Arizona and across the country. Through policy research and litigation, the Institute has played a leading role in cutting taxes, expanding school choice, protecting property rights, eliminating needless regulation, restoring free speech, and defending the right to earn a living.